Tip Top turns 75

In 1936 two friends, Len Malaghan and Albert Hayman, opened an ice cream parlour in Wellington. Little did they know that their humble venture would grow to become a national icon loved by generations of kiwis.

Len and Albert soon began making their own ice cream. Not waiting for big ideas from overseas, they were innovators from the beginning. They launched their first novelty ice cream bar in the early 1950’s – Eskimo Pie is an oldie but a goodie still loved today. Then came their first ice cream on a stick, Topsy (named after one of Len’s favourite cows), followed over the years by such classics as Jelly Tip, Rocky Road, the Joy Bar, FruJu, Trumpet and Memphis Meltdown – the first triple dipped ice cream on the planet!

In 1962, Tip Top built the Southern Hemisphere’s largest and most advanced centre for ice cream excellence. The Tip Top factory included staff houses and 20 acres of farm land overlooking Auckland’s Southern motorway. Over time, the Tip Top factory became a New Zealand landmark known to generations as ‘Tip Top corner’.